A Diary of Africa by Chris Watson is a story of friendship, mishap and sheer determination, tracing a journey across continents and into adulthood when a band of young English and colonial adventurers piled into an old Bedford truck called Monty and set out from London in 1971 with little money, no plan, and a hunger for something bigger than home.
Over four unforgettable months, they crossed deserts and borders, jungles and cities, travelling from Morocco to Durban and learning, sometimes the hard way, what it means to be far from everything familiar.
Heading off a great overseas experience (OEs) has long been a coming-of-age ritual for young adults from downunder and Mr Watson was no different.
During the European summer of 1971 Mr Watson and a friend drove 15,000 miles in a Ford Escort van from London, as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far east as Istanbul, before returning to London to save money for his next trip.
Keen to leave London before winter but not ready to return home, Mr Watson joined up with other Kiwis, Australians, South Africans and Poms — 12 in total — to travel overland through Africa.
Now in his 70s and retired from his career in insurance, Mr Watson said that, more than 50 years since his African adventure, he was inspired to write the book as a record for him and his fellow travellers, to help counter fading memories.
‘‘Our overland Africa trip, from north to south, took place in a bygone age of travel with all aspects vastly different to today’s digital world. Yet, for many of us, our aspiration to travel, to experience new sights, scents, people and landscapes, hasn’t changed all that much.
‘‘In our case, as young adults, we were given almost total freedom, far away from what was expected to be the norm. I’ve expanded on my diary entries to reflect on the friendships, the mishaps, the physical journey and the journey into adulthood.
‘‘While I believe many of my readers will also be in their 70s, I’d love to be able to inspire younger travellers to get out there and realise their dreams, to understand teamwork, build friendships, and experience how different life can be on another continent.’’
An appendix lists Mr Watson’s full itinerary through 1971 and 1972 when he continued from Africa on a solo adventure across North, Central and South America, then on to Southeast Asia with a friend, before driving across Australia and a final flight from Brisbane home to Wellington.
Mr Watson’s travel memoir will be available from bookshops nationwide from late February.
